I ran a BBS on a 300 baud modem that didn't have auto answer. I had to hit the damn button every time the phone rang. My first BBS was also on tape (yes tape), and I had to rewind it after each caller was finished so it could reload the session for the next caller.
Hmmm... What was my point? Oh yeah, I had absolutely no life as a kid.
You can all come over to my lawn, but you probably wouldn't want to, or you will hear more depressing old timer crap like this.
How many phones is Microsoft on? I'm sure that cuts into the 9.5 out of 10 percentages over computing platforms quite a bit. Phones aren't phones anymore, they are full blown computers.
Also, I know a lot of local governments, state governments are starting not extend their enterprise agreements with Microsoft.
I work for a sizable county government and we are moving off of Exchange/Outlook next year in favor of Zimbra. We are a 2007 shop now and were thinking of migrating to 2010, but won't. Microsoft is demanding Windows 2008 Enterprise to do things like Exchange replication, which more than triples our licensing cots. There is much talk of Microsoft ending Public Folder support after the 2010 version of Exchange in favor of full blown Sharepoint... A lot of money for government agencies now feeling big budget cuts.
We are also moving to OpenOffice (or should I say LibreOffice) for departments that didn't go Access crazy next year. After looking at how our users were using MS Office, we determined 90% of our users don't use it for much more than simple word processing. About 10% of those also used Excel.
A lot of this is being driven by the economy and the fact that we face set backs. But with this in mind, we also don't think we loose any functionality with these alternatives.
I know Windows/Office/IE is still embedded in a lot of the business culture, but there are plenty of places it isn't a "requirement" anymore, and it actually makes sense to replace it.
It is Microsoft using strong language to scare people.
Reverse Engineering the product to then produce and sell a similar product is one thing, using it as an input device for other things that it was intended for is a totally different ball of wax.
The camera's aside, the concept/innovation isn't the hardware, but how it recognises a person as an individual. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I did read a few articles on Project Natal/Kinect, and the major hurdle wasn't the 3D camera, the voice recognition, etc. It was putting it all together to recognise not only movement, but who a person is by many distinct factors, and following that person throughout the experience.
That to me is major innovation alone. I remember the EyeToy, and used one. This is not that. Maybe the EyeToy is a subset of this, as is a bunch of technology. The innovation of the Kinect is putting all this technology together in one package and getting it to work as a unified device.
I'm not totally sold this will be a great device for the Xbox, but this is the first thing I've seen in a long time that has really made me see a real shift in the way we interact with computers. The Wimote and the Sony move systems are really still tying people to a controller. In other words, this is the first device I've seen that really reaches out to the user, not the other way around. Even the EyeToy didn't do that.
I don't mean to sound like a Microsoft shrill in anyway. If Sony did this, or Apple, I would be just as curious, and hopeful. I just think the way they tied the technology together, and the way in which they plan to use it and have it interact is way too cool to dismiss as just another gimmick.
I'm one of those that wouldn't mind moving my coffee table to play. After all, I've spent thousands over the years keeping my gaming rig up to date, what is moving some furniture.
The big problems I see is input lag and the processing being done on the Xbox. That leaves less processing for the actual game itself, and the lag issue probably won't get much better until Microsoft releases new specs for the Xbox to handle the kinect.
My other curiosity is can I still play certain titles while sitting on a chair?
I will eventually get a unit. Hopefully a revision or two down the line. Microsoft aminosity aside, this is one of those big leap concepts that even if the initial device doesn't do what it should, it can still revolutionize a stagnant part of the industry. The mouse and keyboard/gamepad hasn't really changed much in years. This could change all that. Even the Wii motion technology is a bit primetive compared to something like this. It's fine for what it does, but doesn't cross over to computing very well. This does. Microsoft smartly put R&D money into this, because now they probably have a ton of patents on the next generation of periphreal.
Most of the mobile world I know of is slowly moving away from direct synchronisation with the desktop. Instead, the desktop and the mobile device sync with the mail/groupware server.
I suggest taking a look at Zimbra as it supports most devices out there. You can go at it both ways too, with either a server sync or a desktop sync.
We are using Exchange right now with the Evolution MAPI conduit. We are moving away from this solution in favor of Zimbra which will work across desktop and mobile platforms.
I don't know. First, I know many dual PS3/XBOX360 users that didn't by Move because they are waiting for Kinect...
Secondly, how many patents is Microsoft Gaining by developing this technology. Like it or not, those are worth more than their weight in gold.
Finally, this is technology they we reuse over and over again, so even if the original product doesn't take off, the research costs can still pay off moving forward.
For gaming on a television, any PC with HDMI output will do...
I run a fairly plain Dell low profile computer with a sapphire radeon HD 5570 and it's great as a media/game type pc for the living room. I added a cheap bluetooth adapter for keyboard and mouse, and I use a wired xbox 360 controller for those who prefer that (my wife)... There's even a wireless kit available for the xbox 360 controller...
It's also great for the other usual sorts of things PC's are good for: email, web browsing, netflix, hulu, etc...
I have an XBOX 360, but I rarely use it anymore... I'm not anti-console, I just find the console lacking in some areas, especially MMORPG's and Strategy type games.
I have never gotten malware/spyware from an online social site.
Or so you think. It could be that you have caught one of the ~50% of unknown viruses out there via a mere flash/java exploit... and a good one, you'd never know.
Reminds me of the old adage that if you want computer security, unplug the network cable and disable all removable drives.
Facebook is one of the most useful applications ever on the Internet. Love it or hate it, it connects people and their media. It's social networking on a grand scale.
With that said, to use one of the greatest applications ever, you must compromise your privacy and security. That's how good Facebook is, no matter how bad the bad is, people keep using it.
I've thought of emptying my profile several times, and just providing a link to a personal web site. I don't want to delete my account totally, there are still people that I want to keep in contact with that aren't really computer savvy, but know how to use Facebook. I also have a MyBand page for, well, my band. Very useful for letting people know when our shows will be, as well as a great way to connect to our fans.
I have enough experience with computers (30+ years) to know the scams when I see them. I have never gotten malware/spyware from an online social site. The one thing I do give up is a bit of my privacy. Not that I'm too worried about all the boogie men out there (although I will be more fearful when my kids are old enough to be on it). I do however sometimes feel like George Costanza on Seinfeld where his worlds were colliding. I don't always want to mix personal and business lives, but it seems to happen on Facebook.
I guess for now, I take the bad with the good and vice versa. I'm too lazy to change the world myself, so I'll leave it to the next visionaries to build a better Facebook and one that is just as popular.
Video Recordings work both ways. We recently had local police have to use lethal force on a guy who hit another officer with his car, and before the video came out there was outrage over the issue. Turns out that once the video became public, and people saw what actually happened, the public criticism stopped right away.
It is scary how many people just don't want the truth to come out in any situation. We are taught from a young age about accountability, but there are too many stories like this that show that there our government and civil servants want to be above accountability for their actions.
How about I buy a game. I install to my home computer, and to my laptop. I have an experience I can complete, and don't have to connect to some server to verify so if I bring my laptop somewhere, lets say to New York City for an extended business trip where the Hotel internet is intermittent at best and my air card won't work because I sandwiched between two high rise buildings, I can still play a game that I bought.
Ok, maybe my circumstances are a bit extraordinary, but I want what I pay for.
It was refreshing to actually buy a game recently (Dragon Age: Origins) and have a complete game to play without having to worry about authenticating to outside servers. I also appreciate that there are expansions that are optional, but there is no wall I will hit leaving me unsatisfied with the original game.
I do play EVE-Online also, and I don't mind the subscription, but I don't just play MMORPG's. There are just certain games that I want that I feel I can put back on the shelf someday with the satisfaction of completing it, and also the option to play the game no matter what my circumstances are. Am I asking too much for my $50?
I guess as an 80's generation gamer, I have different expectations. I still like going to the store (gasp!) to buy games. Hell, if there were still arcades around me, I might even go and drop a few dollars there.
Funny thing is, we were just getting ready to order Sun 7310 and 7210 Unified Storage systems, and backed down and went with Equallogic PS6500x and PS6500e's at the last minute instead... We did a lot of research on both, and the one thing that was selling us on the Sun was the open architecture. Well, Oracle has made some moves lately that had us worried on the future of Sun. As much as the Sun had the "cool" factor, we felt more comfortable going with the Equallogic in the end. It's also has us looking away from the Sunfire line of servers.
With 1960's technology. He said in the video that it was impractical to do it back then. But using modern technology it could be.
While I wouldn't want to live underwater myself, if this is done responsibly I am all for it. We talk about colonizing space, this is actually a step in that direction, and a lot cheaper and will push the same types of technology if we are ever going to colonize space.
My problem with your statement is the fact that most distributions package software for the distribution. And for applications that aren't supported by the main distribution, there are also community packages that deal with the configuration issues.
Case in point is Adobe Reader.... Yes, you can go to Adobe's site and download adobe for Linux, or you can look at your distributions software channels and find Adobe Reader already packaged for the distribution in most cases with mainstream distros.
I'm sure if Steam were released for Linux, there would be a ton of community support to get it up and running on most linux systems.
In fact, Steam should be easier than most because it's acts a sandbox as it is, and would probably do well under Linux because of this.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't think the question really is about whether the child should have been searched or not, but that there should be a better way of handling it.
It's a very sad state of affairs no matter what angle you look at it from.
Hahahahah, kids...
I ran a BBS on a 300 baud modem that didn't have auto answer. I had to hit the damn button every time the phone rang. My first BBS was also on tape (yes tape), and I had to rewind it after each caller was finished so it could reload the session for the next caller.
Hmmm... What was my point? Oh yeah, I had absolutely no life as a kid.
You can all come over to my lawn, but you probably wouldn't want to, or you will hear more depressing old timer crap like this.
How many phones is Microsoft on? I'm sure that cuts into the 9.5 out of 10 percentages over computing platforms quite a bit. Phones aren't phones anymore, they are full blown computers.
Also, I know a lot of local governments, state governments are starting not extend their enterprise agreements with Microsoft.
I work for a sizable county government and we are moving off of Exchange/Outlook next year in favor of Zimbra. We are a 2007 shop now and were thinking of migrating to 2010, but won't. Microsoft is demanding Windows 2008 Enterprise to do things like Exchange replication, which more than triples our licensing cots. There is much talk of Microsoft ending Public Folder support after the 2010 version of Exchange in favor of full blown Sharepoint... A lot of money for government agencies now feeling big budget cuts.
We are also moving to OpenOffice (or should I say LibreOffice) for departments that didn't go Access crazy next year. After looking at how our users were using MS Office, we determined 90% of our users don't use it for much more than simple word processing. About 10% of those also used Excel.
A lot of this is being driven by the economy and the fact that we face set backs. But with this in mind, we also don't think we loose any functionality with these alternatives.
I know Windows/Office/IE is still embedded in a lot of the business culture, but there are plenty of places it isn't a "requirement" anymore, and it actually makes sense to replace it.
Nike already summarized your post: Just Do It
It is Microsoft using strong language to scare people.
Reverse Engineering the product to then produce and sell a similar product is one thing, using it as an input device for other things that it was intended for is a totally different ball of wax.
The camera's aside, the concept/innovation isn't the hardware, but how it recognises a person as an individual. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I did read a few articles on Project Natal/Kinect, and the major hurdle wasn't the 3D camera, the voice recognition, etc. It was putting it all together to recognise not only movement, but who a person is by many distinct factors, and following that person throughout the experience.
That to me is major innovation alone. I remember the EyeToy, and used one. This is not that. Maybe the EyeToy is a subset of this, as is a bunch of technology. The innovation of the Kinect is putting all this technology together in one package and getting it to work as a unified device.
I'm not totally sold this will be a great device for the Xbox, but this is the first thing I've seen in a long time that has really made me see a real shift in the way we interact with computers. The Wimote and the Sony move systems are really still tying people to a controller. In other words, this is the first device I've seen that really reaches out to the user, not the other way around. Even the EyeToy didn't do that.
I don't mean to sound like a Microsoft shrill in anyway. If Sony did this, or Apple, I would be just as curious, and hopeful. I just think the way they tied the technology together, and the way in which they plan to use it and have it interact is way too cool to dismiss as just another gimmick.
I'm one of those that wouldn't mind moving my coffee table to play. After all, I've spent thousands over the years keeping my gaming rig up to date, what is moving some furniture.
The big problems I see is input lag and the processing being done on the Xbox. That leaves less processing for the actual game itself, and the lag issue probably won't get much better until Microsoft releases new specs for the Xbox to handle the kinect.
My other curiosity is can I still play certain titles while sitting on a chair?
I will eventually get a unit. Hopefully a revision or two down the line. Microsoft aminosity aside, this is one of those big leap concepts that even if the initial device doesn't do what it should, it can still revolutionize a stagnant part of the industry. The mouse and keyboard/gamepad hasn't really changed much in years. This could change all that. Even the Wii motion technology is a bit primetive compared to something like this. It's fine for what it does, but doesn't cross over to computing very well. This does. Microsoft smartly put R&D money into this, because now they probably have a ton of patents on the next generation of periphreal.
Most of the mobile world I know of is slowly moving away from direct synchronisation with the desktop. Instead, the desktop and the mobile device sync with the mail/groupware server.
I suggest taking a look at Zimbra as it supports most devices out there. You can go at it both ways too, with either a server sync or a desktop sync.
We are using Exchange right now with the Evolution MAPI conduit. We are moving away from this solution in favor of Zimbra which will work across desktop and mobile platforms.
Loss for Microsoft?
I don't know. First, I know many dual PS3/XBOX360 users that didn't by Move because they are waiting for Kinect ...
Secondly, how many patents is Microsoft Gaining by developing this technology. Like it or not, those are worth more than their weight in gold.
Finally, this is technology they we reuse over and over again, so even if the original product doesn't take off, the research costs can still pay off moving forward.
R&D is usually a long term investment.
Let me rephrase that for you:
OH brilliant! So part of the fuel economy system is relying on the wind not pushing it!
I'm not even close to an expert, but I think that is what aerodynamics is all about, or at least cars designed with aerodynamics in mind is about.
For gaming on a television, any PC with HDMI output will do...
I run a fairly plain Dell low profile computer with a sapphire radeon HD 5570 and it's great as a media/game type pc for the living room. I added a cheap bluetooth adapter for keyboard and mouse, and I use a wired xbox 360 controller for those who prefer that (my wife)... There's even a wireless kit available for the xbox 360 controller...
It's also great for the other usual sorts of things PC's are good for: email, web browsing, netflix, hulu, etc...
I have an XBOX 360, but I rarely use it anymore... I'm not anti-console, I just find the console lacking in some areas, especially MMORPG's and Strategy type games.
I have never gotten malware/spyware from an online social site.
Or so you think. It could be that you have caught one of the ~50% of unknown viruses out there via a mere flash/java exploit... and a good one, you'd never know.
Reminds me of the old adage that if you want computer security, unplug the network cable and disable all removable drives.
Facebook is one of the most useful applications ever on the Internet. Love it or hate it, it connects people and their media. It's social networking on a grand scale.
With that said, to use one of the greatest applications ever, you must compromise your privacy and security. That's how good Facebook is, no matter how bad the bad is, people keep using it.
I've thought of emptying my profile several times, and just providing a link to a personal web site. I don't want to delete my account totally, there are still people that I want to keep in contact with that aren't really computer savvy, but know how to use Facebook. I also have a MyBand page for, well, my band. Very useful for letting people know when our shows will be, as well as a great way to connect to our fans.
I have enough experience with computers (30+ years) to know the scams when I see them. I have never gotten malware/spyware from an online social site. The one thing I do give up is a bit of my privacy. Not that I'm too worried about all the boogie men out there (although I will be more fearful when my kids are old enough to be on it). I do however sometimes feel like George Costanza on Seinfeld where his worlds were colliding. I don't always want to mix personal and business lives, but it seems to happen on Facebook.
I guess for now, I take the bad with the good and vice versa. I'm too lazy to change the world myself, so I'll leave it to the next visionaries to build a better Facebook and one that is just as popular.
Seems they own the word Douche in the word Douchebag too.
WoW is mostly kids, so yes, they disabled because they are brain damaged. Bill Cosby says so.
Video Recordings work both ways. We recently had local police have to use lethal force on a guy who hit another officer with his car, and before the video came out there was outrage over the issue. Turns out that once the video became public, and people saw what actually happened, the public criticism stopped right away.
Police Video Vindicates Use of Lethal Force
It is scary how many people just don't want the truth to come out in any situation. We are taught from a young age about accountability, but there are too many stories like this that show that there our government and civil servants want to be above accountability for their actions.
How about I buy a game. I install to my home computer, and to my laptop. I have an experience I can complete, and don't have to connect to some server to verify so if I bring my laptop somewhere, lets say to New York City for an extended business trip where the Hotel internet is intermittent at best and my air card won't work because I sandwiched between two high rise buildings, I can still play a game that I bought.
Ok, maybe my circumstances are a bit extraordinary, but I want what I pay for.
It was refreshing to actually buy a game recently (Dragon Age: Origins) and have a complete game to play without having to worry about authenticating to outside servers. I also appreciate that there are expansions that are optional, but there is no wall I will hit leaving me unsatisfied with the original game.
I do play EVE-Online also, and I don't mind the subscription, but I don't just play MMORPG's. There are just certain games that I want that I feel I can put back on the shelf someday with the satisfaction of completing it, and also the option to play the game no matter what my circumstances are. Am I asking too much for my $50?
I guess as an 80's generation gamer, I have different expectations. I still like going to the store (gasp!) to buy games. Hell, if there were still arcades around me, I might even go and drop a few dollars there.
I know what breasts are for. Too bad my wife won't let me use my knowledge any more.
I keep trying to click the link but it doesn't appear to be working.
What I really like is that I have a choice to believe in what I want to believe in.
Funny thing is, we were just getting ready to order Sun 7310 and 7210 Unified Storage systems, and backed down and went with Equallogic PS6500x and PS6500e's at the last minute instead... We did a lot of research on both, and the one thing that was selling us on the Sun was the open architecture. Well, Oracle has made some moves lately that had us worried on the future of Sun. As much as the Sun had the "cool" factor, we felt more comfortable going with the Equallogic in the end. It's also has us looking away from the Sunfire line of servers.
FTFA: "Last week, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter found Lunokhod 2, sitting clearly on the planet’s surface."
First Pluto ceases to be a planet... Now the Moon is no longer a moon, but a planet... What is this solar system coming to?
With 1960's technology. He said in the video that it was impractical to do it back then. But using modern technology it could be.
While I wouldn't want to live underwater myself, if this is done responsibly I am all for it. We talk about colonizing space, this is actually a step in that direction, and a lot cheaper and will push the same types of technology if we are ever going to colonize space.
Why would I memorize it when I can put it on one big sticky note?
My problem with your statement is the fact that most distributions package software for the distribution. And for applications that aren't supported by the main distribution, there are also community packages that deal with the configuration issues.
Case in point is Adobe Reader.... Yes, you can go to Adobe's site and download adobe for Linux, or you can look at your distributions software channels and find Adobe Reader already packaged for the distribution in most cases with mainstream distros.
I'm sure if Steam were released for Linux, there would be a ton of community support to get it up and running on most linux systems.
In fact, Steam should be easier than most because it's acts a sandbox as it is, and would probably do well under Linux because of this.